Twin Cities Walk to Defeat ALS a record-breaking success

photo courtesy of cousin Sarah

Last weekend the Twin Cities Walk to Defeat ALS went down on a beautiful day at Lake Phalen. It was a record-breaking year: 3000 walkers, 185 teams, $500,000 raised. Many families will benefit from this collective movement of generosity.

Almost all of Uncle Joe's siblings and their spouses plus lots of cousins came out -- including our newest, 2 week-old baby Baxter -- to walk together as a team, in red shirts, in gorgeous weather. After the walk our family shared a picnic lunch together, a special time.


Thank you so much for cheering us on and supporting this fundraiser. Your donations brought us over our goal of raising $100 each for each person in our family of four. Thank you for helping us to participate remotely in this event which meant so much to our family! We were truly touched -- think about this -- donations even came from Drew's friends who don't know my extended family at all.
Thank you.


(Meanwhile, on walk-day, our family did a jog-bike to a field where Titus practiced riding without training wheels while across the field a million freshman university students lay prone in camo suits on the grass, practicing shooting rifles without bullets, national mandatory military training, that's a story for another time!)

counting the graces

thank you Father for

Olly at Butterfly Home is well; his return to the main orphanage opened a bed for a premie in great need of BH care

Drew's patience, understanding, forgiveness and hugs

alone, a fun day downtown shopping and reading Job in one sitting

Majors family's kindness in caring for our boys for a morning

exceptional Mrs. Zeng, Titus' teacher, inviting Titus to stay for afternoon art class

learning to redefine what it means to be productive

Drew's long conversation with Wang Zhao, so good for her to talk with a listening and caring man

Get Lost...In Wonder

Recently our neighbors are constantly blaring Buddhist sutra chants, sounds that drift easily across the 30 feet between our apartment buildings. I can't say I like it. Nope.

You know what I love?

Lost In Wonder -- all songs written and recorded by our friend Noah of The Offshore Accounts, straight out of Changsha. (btw Noah's third daughter was born yesterday so we went to the hospital and held her, she's darling!)

I sang background vocals on "Watch for The Dawn"

Favorite track? "But You Do"


Dig Lost In Wonder?
Let me introduce you a little somethin' awesome called The Followers' Wounded Healer

My favorite EVER.

Just listen to the first track. You'll be hooked.


Well, did you listen to it? Did you hear that astounding soulful female voice? Her name is Liz Vice, and she's just released her first solo album, There's A Light. I've been playing it over and over to drown out the droning sutras. I feel much better.

All three albums

...offer an unbeatable throwback soul-blues-funk musical experience.

...offer thoughtful lyrics, avoiding typical cliches of worship tunes.

...are offered in humility, not to make oneself known, but to make Jesus known.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

truth

strength

finding Drew knelt down in prayer in the office

Twin Cities Walk to Defeat ALS was a big success

men of integrity in our lives

baby Shenghui

quality kidney beans

Monday morning books on the couch with Titus; helping Mike with his cinnamon problem

troubles look so insignificant with consideration to You

Stephen's testimony of daily joy in Chicago

sin is grievous but You will set all things right

Who is the center of this story?

Re-reading our newsletter from last post, I felt it needed an amendment.

Stories about us. What we have done. What we want to do.

It wasn't stated explicitly, but,

I hope as you read it's understood that

Jesus 

is always the center of this story.

The Author

and Finisher

Alpha

Omega

No Beginning

No End

Climax

The Twist

The Irony

Rising and Falling Action

Protagonist and Hero

Was

Is

Is To Come

I AM

This is Jesus' story and we are overjoyed and inexpressibly thankful to be in it.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

call to discipline, discovering joy of discipline

learning to say yes to your plans and gentle no to extra stuff, so liberating

Mike's kissable soft little cheeks

reading hour while boys are at Tae Kwon Do

Drew and I striving in unison to keep our bond strong and deep

richness and power of your words and deeds recorded in the Bible, pierces my heart

strength for obedience

2 boys and 1 mother, jump ropes, basketballs, bikes on the concrete under the basketball hoop, waiting for Dad to get home from work on a school-night

watching through the window as Titus repeatedly hugs and kisses his preschool teachers

Summer Recap, Fall Goals, and Winter in the USA!

Hi friends, below you'll find our fall 2014 email newsletter. Whereas our blog tends to feature tiny snippets of life, the newsletters aim to communicate a broader overview as well as prayer concerns.

If you would like to receive our newsletter in email just let me know.
Thanks for taking such good care of us!  - Drew & Rach

Three Seasons in One Email but first... Would you please sponsor us as we Walk to Defeat ALS? Rachel's Uncle Joe was diagnosed with ALS in 2012. In his honor, we are raising funds for research and services to families coping with ALS. On September 20th we'll be walking in Changsha while the big event is underway in St. Paul, MN. It means so much that we can do this small thing to express support to our family. We need a few more donors to help reach our goal. Please consider donating here. (You can choose to sponsor Drew, Rachel, Titus or Michael) Learn why we so strongly believe in this cause here.  Your help is greatly appreciated! Summer recap: A few things ended up beautifully Jonathon (former foster son) is perfectly happy and dearly loved in North Carolina Annual Youth Camp at Chinese church was the best yet Hong Kong beach vacation bonded our family closer together Gathering with couples, families and women for worship and Bible study grew our faith and friendships Worked many full days at Butterfly Children's Hospice Fall goals: How you can pray for us 1. Marriage and Family Drew handles a demanding work schedule plus thesis-writing, and we find ourselves working harder to cut out husband and wife connection time. Our propensity to fill up the schedule beyond what God calls us to do must end! Titus and Mike are settled in Chinese preschool/K and English homeschool efforts are finally gaining momentum. This year we are watching for if-when-how we can buy an apartment in Changsha. 2. Youth at Chinese church Seeking more teachers to increase depth in connections with students. Dreaming of how to grow the quality of our hour together on Sunday mornings. 3. Butterfly Children's Hospice Drew advises on the current website and social media rebuilding project to increase communication and donations for the hospice. I (Rach) coach the nannies to increase quality of care for the children. Cross-cultural and cross-generational, it's intimidating, so I keep reminding myself that God has called and gifted me for this role. 4. Music and Fear In recent years we have gradually grown out of anxious inhibitions in music. We lead worship at our international fellowship with bonafide rockstar Noah, Youth at Chinese church, and performances here and there. I've written a handful of worship songs and I'm determined to attempt a live home recording this fall; with trepidation I ask for your prayers. God is calling me, but I am still afraid mostly of failure, and of just sounding bad. 5. Neighbors Most of our ministry is connecting with neighbors, coworkers and friends after the pattern of Jesus. If you wanna know the deets, and pray with us... Min & Yabei -- Drew's colleagues, young in faith, engaged; felt need for marriage help Jiang Bo & Zhang Qin and two young kids -- first-generation Christians figuring out how to do family life; felt need for counsel with other Christian families Auntie Wang -- our hired helper remaining faithful to an unfaithful husband; felt need for encouragement Zeng Ting -- we met years ago in a Book study, spiritually imbalanced marriage, infertility; felt need for intimate Christian friendship Yafei & family -- next-door neighbors with two little boys; felt need for spiritual meaning, babysitters, and advice and support for niece with Down Syndrome Wang Zhao, Li Ci & Liu Jia (Lydia) -- adult orphans; felt need for family Gao Jie -- we were yogamates, our boys were classmates; not sure of her felt need but we are drawn to each other Yang Cong & Weifeng and two young kids -- neighbors, honestly very anxious restless people; felt need for peace Winter: See you in the USA Four years since we all had a decent visit to the US. So here we come, mid-November though mid-January. Drew will continue working full-time and remotely from the US. Thankful and excited describe us perfectly. How about you? It would make our day to hear back from you. What's on your mind? Where are you working? What are your kids and grandkids into? What good news do you have to share? What challenges are you facing?  Thanks for staying in touch and keeping us in prayer. Again, thank you so much if you are able to contribute to the Walk to Defeat ALS. Drew & Rachel Titus and Mike

Please consider sponsoring us as we raise funds in the Walk to Defeat ALS in honor of Uncle Joe and his family. You can donate here. Get funky! Our music buddy's new blues-funk-jazz infused EP is yours free. Rachel dug out her best sass for background vox on "Watch for The Dawn".

Asking for your help as we walk in honor of Uncle Joe

Rachel's Uncle Joe was diagnosed with ALS two years ago. In honor of him, we are joining the Walk to Defeat ALS on September 20th -- of course, we four will be walking in Changsha. We are so very thankful to have this opportunity to express our care to Uncle Joe and his family. It means a lot to come together and support each other in all seasons of life, and to join in advocating for a very significant need.

Uncle Joe & Aunt Ruth's close-knit clan:

Tina & Jim, Sarah & Chris, Dylan & Nastassia and Jadaley

We believe in supporting families coping with special needs and illness. 

Raising support for research and social support services is a cause very close to our hearts. In China, we live in a society that fails to serve needy and dying people and their caregivers; their burden is unbearable.  We have personally experienced the unjust and heartbreaking consequences countless times -- for one, our foster son Jonathon was abandoned by his birth parents because they lacked resources to care for him in his time of greatest need.


From Rachel's Heart

There is deep grief in slowly losing a father, husband, grandfather. So much loss. I see my own Dad's eyes in the eyes of Uncle Joe, they are brothers. I want my Aunt Ruth and cousins to know that I feel their grief and think of them often. I want them to feel that they are not alone, but that they have a family sharing in the challenges. Honestly, from way over here on the other side of the world it's frustrating that we cannot be present, and I'm really sorry that we can't do more. I hope that by participating in the walk remotely, my uncle, aunt and cousins will feel encouraged and supported.

Please donate to help meet our goal of raising $100 each in honor of Uncle Joe and his family.

Thank you.

click to sponsor:

Mike
Titus
Drew
Rachel



More information about the Twin Cities Walk to Defeat ALS on September 20th here.

Biking our own way through the urban concrete jungle

Paved wooded trails, long gravel driveways, wide quiet culdesacs. Not our reality. 

And it's totally ok. Because we have crazy, lawless, crowded, uneven, noisy, littered, endlessly under-construction city streets for biking. Bus! Motorcycle behind you! Manhole! Watch out for the poo! Get off and push! Don't hit the grandma selling vegetables! Get some speed to make it over that giant hose! Ram the curb strait-on or you'll tip! C'mon it's green, go!

I really mean it. I choose to be thankful for the place God has given us to live, and to bicycle. I choose to be thankful for the place God has given for my children to learn how to bicycle. 

Last week I ran while the guys biked a 3-mile course through traffic madness of university town Changsha, from our apartment to Starbucks. A vanilla frap is to them enough incentive for just about anything. 

Titus and Mike exceeded my expectation! 

But we didn't ride bikes home, rather, the bikes rode the 305 home with us.

Later that week all four of us set out on wheels in the opposite direction through a newly-developed campus area, the least-traffic option. We stopped for classic spicy summer supper, outdoors on the street. See our little wooden table behind Titus?

On the ride back we visited a swan reserve and rolled down a steep green grassy hill until dark with some other children. Red taillights blinking, we then pedaled home through all the nighttime street madness. After dark the city comes alive.

Drew was compelled to pit-stop when we suddenly spotted an old favorite, Shandong wraps, from northeast China. You also would not be able to resist if you understood the tastiness of these crunchy-crispy-fresh-light-spicy-bbq wraps.

So it's not a trail, or a gravel road, or clean or quiet or even safe really. But it is our home, it is where God has placed us. And we are thankful, enjoying it, and biking our own way through.

counting the urban China bicycling graces

thank you Father for

learning to accept and appreciate the place you've placed us, and all that comes with it

exciting rides weaving in and out of diverse unruly traffic

helmets

nice bikes

boys getting old enough to keep up on rides

Titus and Michael forming their own experiences and memories

family rides

green gathering spaces, swans, quieter streets, street food, night lights

motivating destinations such as Starbucks

kind folks along the way

keeping us all unscathed